Sheet fed printing machine



Sep., 7, 1937. A STOBB SHEET FED PRINTING MACHINE Filed April 15, 1934 3Sheets-Sheet 1 ENVETJQQ.

Sept. 7, 1937. A STOBB 2,092,189

SHEET FED PRINTING MACHINE Filed April l5, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTY.

Sept 7, 1937. v A, STOBB 2,092,189

SHEET FED PRINTING MACHINE Filed April 15, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 5Patented Sept. 7, 1937 SHEET FED PRINTING MACHllNE Application April 13,i934, Serial No, 720,344

2@ Claims. (Cl. lill- 410) This invention relates to gripper mechanismfor transferring sheets in succession from a sheet supply to animpression cylinder of a rotary printing machine in such manner as topresent each sheet to the cylinder in accurate register.

Various forms of sheet gripping mechanisms have been devised for rotaryprinting machines which have sheets fed thereto as the gripper memberspass the sheet feeding mechanism, but

1 in the device according to this invention, a form of gripper has beendevised which is adapted to reach out beyond the peripheral surface ofthe cylinder when approaching a sheet supply, then move into Contactwith a sheet, pick it from the feed board or supply table and transferto the surface of the cylinder.

One object of this invention, thereiore, is to provide a gripper and anabutment member which are normally positioned below the peripheralsurface of an impression cylinder during a printing operation and areadapted to be moved outward beyond the cylinder, while said cylindercontinues to rotate, to grip one edge of a sheet on a supply table andconvey it from said supply table to the impression cylinder.

Another object is to control the movement of the gripper and abutmentmembers so that a momentary rest period will be maintained when grippingthe sheet and to accelerate same to so the speed of the impressioncylinder rotation when conveying the sheet thereto.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a gripper mechanism ofgenerally improved construction, whereby the device will be simple,

35 durable and inexpensive in construction, as well as convenient,practical, serviceable and eicient in its use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds,

40 the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts,and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, itbeing understood that various changes in the precise embodiment of theinvention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what isclaimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is 50 illustrated in theaccompanying drawings,

wherein:

Figure 1 is an end elevation showing an impression roller in outlinewith fragmentary portions of a form cylinder, and a delivery cylinder,

55 and shows the gripper mechanism in full lines fil in sheet grippingposition and in dotted lines in a sheet delivery position;

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view looking in the direction of arrow 2,Figure 1, with parts broken away;

Figure 3 is a further enlarged view of a gripper member including themounting therefor and a fragmentary portion of the impression cylinder,with parts in section;

Figure 4 is a front view of the gripper member and mounting looking inthe direction of the arrow i of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a detail section through the gripper finger mountinfr takenalong the line 5 of Figure 3.

Referring to Figure l, an impression cylinder is shown at ii withportions of a delivery cylinder l2 and a form cylinder l 3 whichcooperate therewith. Adjacent the impression cylinder H, is a sheetregistering table l5, and above said table is a sheet stop iii, which isadapted to limit the movement of sheets as they are ed thereagainst,previous to being taken by the impression cylinder. Any suitablemounting may be provided for said stop which may be raised clear of thesheet to allow the sheet to be conveyed from the table to the impressioncylinder by means of a gripper mechanism indicated generally at l1.

The gripper members are preferably carried by a sleeve i8, which sleeveis rotatable within end bearings ESI-i9 and an intermediate bearing 2B,as shown in Figure 2. The end bearings l Q-i 9 are supported by walls 2l-2l provided at each end of a pocket or gap 22 formed in the peripheralsurface of the impression cylinder, while the intermediate bearing 2D isprovided within an intermediate wall in the pocket 22. A plurality ofgrippers are employed and each gripper structure comprises a grippersupport 23 with an abutment arm 2'! and is secured to the sleeve i8 bymeans of a cap 24, the latter having bolts therethrough which engage thesupport and provide a clamp around the sleeve. A gripper 25 is pivotallymounted upon a pin 2S held in the abutment arm 2l and has a ilattenedtip 23 which is adapted to engage an abutment pad 29 secured to theouter closed end of the abutment arm 21 Said tip 28 is normallymaintained in contact with the pad 2Q by means of a compression spring3i, which is compressed between a lug 32 on said gripper, and aremovable plug 33 in the support 23. The pin 26 is provided with aneccentric portion 3G to adjust the pivotal p0- sition of the gripper,and a nut 35 is provided to clamp the pin in an adjusted position.

Cil

A shaft 3l provided within the sleeve I8 is adapted to be rocked thereinand has a groove 36 in the surface thereof. Referring to Figure 3, inwhich the groove 35 is clearly indicated, a ball 38 is shown within anopening 39 provided through both the sleeve i8 and the support 23, andalso engages the gripper lug 32 and the shaft 3l. In the particularposition shown in Figure 3, the ball 3% is shown in engagement with thegroove SP5, and while iri this position the gripper is in a closedrelation with abutment pad 29. If, however, the shaft 3l is rocked in acounter-clockwise direction, in Figure 3, the ball will ride over theend of the groove to the periphery of the shaft and will be forcedagainst the gripper lug 32, the

action of which will swing the gripper about its pivot and cause thesame to move to an open position away from the abutment pad 29.

Referring to Figure '2, the sleeve i8 is shown mounted within the endbearings lil-i9 and the intermediate bearing 2G, and extends beyond theleft wall 2l of the impression cylinder, while the shaft 3l nts withinthe sleeve I8 and has one end extending beyond the right end thereof.

A segmental pinion il is secured to the extended end of the sleeve,which pinion meshes with the teeth of a segmental gear 2. Said segmentalgear is pivotally mounted upon a stub shaft it extending outward fromone end wall of the impression cylinder, and has a` cam roller larotatably mounted thereon, which is adapted to engage a cam surface i5indicated diagrammatically by the full line in Figure 1. Means isprovided to hold said cam roller l against the cam surface, whichcomprises a rod d6 having one end secured to the segmental gear at 4land the opposite end slidable within a block @i8 secured to the end wallof the impression cylinder. A spring llt, placed over said rod li andcompressed between said block 48 and the opposite end of the rod, forcesthe cam roller M against the cam surface d5.

A rocker arm 5i is secured to the extended end of the shaft 3i and has acam roller 52 rotatably mounted thereon, which engages a cam surface 53indicated diagrammatically by the dotted line in Figure l. A rod 54 issecured to said rocker arm at 55 and is slidable within a block 5Sextending from the end wall of the impression cylinder in the samemanner as that previously described for the rod 6, and also has a spring57 compressed between the block 56 and the opposite end of the rod.While the cam surfaces i5 and 53 are only diagrammatically shown, itwill be understood that the sam-e are provided apart from the grippermechanism and will be included as separate members which will be appliedto the machine structure.

Gripper means is also provided in connection with the delivery cylinderi2, as indicated at 58 in Figure l, which may comprise any suitablearrangement adapted to receive each sheet after the printing operationhas been completed. and move same to a dis-charge position.

In describing the operation of the gripper mechanism of this invention,a start will be made with the dotted line or delivery position of themechanism shown in Figure l, which shows the gripper at a point where itreleases its grip upon a previously printed sheet, to permit the sheetto be gripped by the delivery gripper means. 'I'he cams l5 and 53 are soformed that the gripper mechanism will be swung outward around the axisof the shaft 3l, while the impression cylinder is rotating, and thegripper abutment will follow a path substantially as indicated by thedot and dash line 59, which is shown up to the point of contact with asheet on the feed table l5. The gripper finger 25 also moves outward,and the tip 28 follows a path indicated by the dotted lines Si., Fromthe curvature of the lines 5S and (il, it will be observed that thegripper tip 23 will open at the point of sheet delivery, then both thefinger and the abutment will move outward7 with the nger increasing itsopening in relation to the pad port; n 29, then closing again during thepreliminary movement thereof. Both the finger and the abutment will thencontinue to move in an equally spaced relation until they approach thesheet supply table l5, at which position the finger and abutment will beindependently manipulated to move the abutment beneath the sheet ofpaper on the table l5, while the finger moves around and over the top ofsaid sheet, whereupon both the finger and the abutment are broughttogether abruptly to grip the end of the sheet.

The entire movement of the gripper fingers and the abutments is uniquein its principle and may be considered as the equivalent of a hand whichis adapted to reach for a sheet, grip same with the fingers, and thenwithdraw the sheet. After gripping the sheet in this manner, the grippermechanism is returned within the pocket 22 and the sheet is drawn overthe surface of the cylinder.

Due to the particular shape of the cam surfaces or" each of the cammembers d5 and 53, the segmental gear i2 and rocker arm 5i will berocked thereby about their axes and will rotate the sleeve I8 and theshaft accordingly to move the support 223 and ngers 25 through the pathsdescribed. The segmental gear i2 controls the movement of the sleeve i8and the supports 23 secured thereto, while the rocker arm 5i controlsthe movement of the shaft 3l, which rocks the grippers 25, and from thecurve showing the path through which the fingers and pads travel, itwill be observed that the said rocker arm 5l only functions to move thefingers away from engagement with the abutments 2S upon reaching thedelivery position and again upon reaching a new sheet on the support i5.

By means of the formation of the cam 45, the motion of the segmentalgear i2 is further controlled so that the grippers 28 and abutments 29are actually in a stationary position momentarily when brought intogripping contact with a sheet on the support l5, which will occur at themoment a reversal in the direction .of the rotation of the segmentalgear l2 and the pinion Iii takes place. After gripping the sheet thereturn of the gripper mechanism to its position within the pocket 22 isso regulated as to gradually accelerate the move-ment thereof to thespeed of the cylinder and thereby avoid any abrupt pull on the paper.

It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in otherspecific forms without department from the spirit or essentialattributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the presentembodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and notrestrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than tothe foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

l. In a printing machine, a rotatable impression cylinder, a sleeveextending through a pocket in said cylinder, and a shaft extendingthrough said sleeve, a support member' secured to said sleeve and a camactuated rocker member connected with said sleeve, a gripper carried bysaid support and positioned in operable relation with the shaft, and camactuated means to rock the shaft. l

2. In a printing machine, a rotatable impression cylinder, a sleeveextending through a pocket in said cylinder, and a sli-aft extendingthrough said sleeve, a support member secured to said sleeve and a camactuated rocker member connected with said sleeve, an abutment armextending from said support and having a gripper abutment, a gripperincluding a tip portion, means to normally maintain the tip portion ingripped contact with the abutment, means operable by a movement of theshaft to release the tip Contact, and a cam actuated member secured tosaid shaft to rock same.

3. In a printing machine, a rotatable impression cylinder having apocket formed in the peripheral surface thereof, a sleeve supportedwithin said pocket, a shaft having a grooved portion thereon andpositioned within said sleeve, means to rock said sleeve and means torock said shaft, a supp-ort including an abutment member fixed to saidsleeve, and a gripper carried by said support having portion thereof inoperable relation with the grooved portion of said shaft, wheieby saidabutment member is rocked by the movement of the sleeve and the gripperis operated by the movement of the shaft.

4A In a printing machine, a rotatable impression cylinder, alongitudinal shaft supported by said impression cylinder, a sleevecarried by said shaft, an abutment member associated with said sleeve, agripperfmember associated with said shaft, means to rock said sleeve tomove both the abutment and gripper, and means to rock said shaft toindependently control the movement of the gripper with respectto theabutment.

5. In a printing machine, a rotatable impression cylinder, alongitudinal shaft supported b y said impression cylinder, a sleevecarried by said shaft, a support including an abutment member fixed tosaid sleeve, a gripper member associated with said shaft, means to rocksaid sleeve to rock the support, and means to roch said shaft to rockthe gripper.

6. In a printing machine, a rotatable impression cylinder, two shaftseach axially xed relative to the cylinder, each shaft having a grippermember opei'ably connected therewith, and means to separately actuatesaid shafts to thereby operate said gripper members.

7. In a printing machine, a rotatable impression cylinder, two shaftseach axially fixed relative to the cylinder, an abutment memberrotatably mounted on one of said shafts, a gripper member operablyconnected to the other of said shafts, means to actuate one of saidshafts to move said gripper and abutment outward beyond the cylinderperiphery, and means to actuate the other1 of said shafts to move thegripper member relative to the abutment member.

8. In a printing machine, a rotatable cylinder, a pair of rotatablymounted shafts axially fixed relatively to said cylinder, a grippermember operably connected to each shaft, and means actuated by rotationof said shafts to operate said gripper members to grip a sheet.

9. In a printing machine, a rotatable cylinder, a pair of rotatablysupported shafts axially fixed relatively to said cylinder, cooperatingsheet gripping members one being pivotally supported on the other, andmeans actuated by rotation of said shafts to move one of said grippingmembers relatively to the other.

l0. In a printing machine, a rotatable cylinder, a pair of rotatablysupported shafts axially fixed relatively to said cylinder, cooperatingsheet gripping members one being pivotally supported on the other,separate means to rock each shaft for cooperating operation to swingsaid gripping members relatively to said cylinder, and means tosuperimpose rocking movement on one of said shafts and vary its rockingmovement to rotate one of said gripping members relatively to the other.

1l. In a printing machine, a rotatable cylinder, a pair of rotatablysupported shafts axially fixed relatively to said cylinder, cooperatingsheet gripping members one being pivotally supported onA the other,separate means to rock each shaft for cooperating operation to swingsaid gripping members relatively to said cylinder, and means betweensaid shafts and operable by relative rotative movement between the sameto swing one of said gripping members relatively to the other while saidshaft rocking means is operating.

12. In a printing machine, in combination, a rotatable cylinder, a pairof cooperating sheet gripping fingers swingably mounted on saidcylinder, said fingers being mounted for movement relative to each otherto grip and release a sheet, means to receive a released sheet, sheetholding means from which a sheet is taken when gripped by said fingers,a first cam actuated means to swing said fingers in unison beyond theperiphery of said cylinder, a second cam actuated means .o move one ofsaid fingers relatively to the other, to release a sheet to saidreceiving means and to grip a sheet and remove it from said sheetholdimT means, and a camming surface for controlling each of said camactuated means.

13. In a printing machine, in combination, a rotatable cylinder, a pairof cooperating sheet gripping fingers swingably mounted on saidcylinder, said iingers being mounted for movement relative to each otherto grip and release a sheet, means to receive a released sheet, sheetholding means from which a sheet is taken when gripped by said fingers,a rst cam actuated means to swing said fingers in unison beyond theperiphery of said cylinder, a second cam actuated means to move one ofsaid fingers relatively to the other, and a cam surface for controllingeach of said cam actuated means, each of said cam surfaces beingcoordinated with the other to actuate said cam actuated means to cause,in sequence, separation of the fingers to release a sheet by one of saidmeans before said fingers are swung beyond the cylinder periphery by theother, closing of the fingers together while being so swung, separationof the fingers adjacent the sheet holding means, moving of both fingerstoward the sheet on said holding means to straddle the sheet, closing ofthe ngers together to grip the sheet, and then swinging of both fingerswhile gripping a sheet below the periphery of said cylinder.

14. In a printing machine, in combination, a rotatable cylinder, a pairof cooperating sheet gripping fingers swingably mounted on saidcylinder, said fingers being mounted for movement relative to each othert0. grip and release a sheet, means to receive a released sheet, sheetholding means from which a sheet is taken when gripped by said fingers,a rst cam actuated means to swing said fingers in unison beyond theperiphery of said cylinder, a second cam actuated means to move one ofsaid fingers relatively to the other, a

first cam surface for controlling said rst cam actuated means, a secondcam surface for controlling said second cam actuated means, said camsurfaces being coordinated to actuate said second cam actuated means tomove one of said fingers relatively to the other to release a sheet 'tosaid sheet receiving means, to actuate said first cam actuated means toswing both of said iingers beyond the periphery of said cylinder, toactuate said second cam actuated means to move one of said iingerstoward the other to grip a sheet in said holding means while actuatingsaid rst cam actuated means to move both fingers toward said holdingmeans to straddle a sheet thereon and then to actuate said iirst camactuated means to swing said fingers below the periphery of saidcylinder.

l5. In a printing machine, in combination, a rotatable cylinder, sheetholding means, sheet receiving means, a pair of relatively movablecooperating sheet gripping fingers on said cylinder, a cam actuatedmember operative to move one of said fingers relatively to the otheradjacent said sheet receiving means to release a sheet gripped betweenlsaid fingers and to move said nger relatively to the other adjacent saidsheet holding means to grip a sheet held thereby, a camming surface foractuating said member, cam actuated means to swing both of said fingersoutwardly from the periphery of said cylinder intermediate said sheetreceiving and holding means and to eiect a movement of said fingerstoward a sheet on said holding means, when they are adjacent the same,to cause them to straddle the sheet, and a camming surface for actuatingsaid cam actuated means.

16. In a printing machine, in combination, a rotatable cylinder, sheetholding means, sheet receiving means, a pair of relatively movablecooperating sheet gripping iingers on said cylinder, cam actuated meansto swing both of said ngers outwardly from the periphery of saidcylinder intermediate said sheet receiving and holding means and toeiTect a movement of said ngers toward a sheet on said holding meanswhen they are adjacent the same, to cause them to straddle the sheet,cam actuated means to move one of ysaid iingers relatively to the otherat said sheet holding and said sheet receiving means, and a cammingsurface for actuating each of said cam actuated means.

17. In a printing machine, a rotatable cylinder, a sheet grippingmechanism including a sheet abutment arm pivotally mounted on saidcylinder, a sheet gripper, said armV and said gripper having cooperatingsheet gripping surfaces, an eccentric pin by which said gripper ispivoted to said arm, said eccentric pin being rotatable to relativelyadjust said sheet gripping surfaces, and means to secure said pin in itsadjusted position.

18. In a printing machine, an impression cylinder, sheet holding means,sheet receiving means, said sheet holding and receiving means beingspaced apart about said cylinder, a sheet gripper, a support for saidgripper supported by cyl- I inder, an abutment arm extending from saidsupport, means to rock said support to swing said arm beyond theperiphery of said cylinder, and cam actuated means to move said gripperrelatively to said arm at said sheet holding means and at said sheetreceiving means.

19. In a printing machine, an impression cylinder, sheet holding means,sheet receiving means, said sheet holding and receiving means beingspaced apart about said cylinder, a sheet;

gripper, a support for said gripper mounted upon a member pivotallymounted to said cylinder, an abutment arm extending from said support,means to actuate said pivotally mounted member to rock said support tomove the arm beyond the periphery of said cylinder, and cam actuatedmeans to independently move said gripper relatively to said abutment armto grip a sheet at said sheet holding means and to release it at saidsheet receiving means.

20. In a printing machine, an impression cylinder, sheet holding means,sheet receiving means, said sheet holding and receiving means beingspaced apart about said cylinder, a sheet gripper, a support for saidgripper mounted upon a member pivotally mounted to said cylinder, anabutment arm extending from said support, cam actuated means to actuatesaid pivotally mounted member to rock said support to move the armbeyond the periphery of said cylinder, and cam actuated means toindependently move saidl gripper relatively to said abutment arm to gripa sheet at said sheet holding means and to release it at said sheetreceiving means.

ANTON STOBB.

